Compositions for souring and softening laundered textile materials and stock solutions prepared therefrom

Abstract

Liquid and solid compositions are provided for souring and imparting softness to freshly laundered textile materials. When in the form of a stable homogeneous liquid, the composition may contain a fatty amide of the class described more fully hereinafter as a softening agent, a water soluble organic acid containing about 1-20 carbon atoms and having a primary ionization constant between 10 -1 and 10 -5 as the souring agent, and water. When in the form of a stable dry solid, the composition may contain the aforementioned fatty amide as a softening agent, and a dry solid water soluble organic acid containing 2-20 carbon atoms and having a primary ionization constant between 10 -1 and 10 -5 as the souring agent. Stable homogeneous stock solutions are prepared from the novel liquid or solid compositions of the invention.

We claim: 
     
       1. A stable homogeneous liquid composition for souring laundered textile materials and imparting softness thereto consisting essentially of I. 0.5-25% by weight of a fatty amide softening agent for textile materials corresponding to the structural formula ##STR4##  wherein R is selected from the group consisting of monovalent alkyl radicals and sulfonated monovalent alkyl radicals containing about 8-22 carbon atoms, R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and ##STR5##  wherein R is as defined above, R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and monovalent alkyl radicals containing 1-2 carbon atoms, and m is 2-6;   Ii. 7.5-75% by weight of an acidic souring agent for laundered textile materials, the souring agent being a water soluble organic carboxylic acid containing about 1-20 carbon atoms and having a primary ionization constant between about 10 -1  and 10 -5 , and   Iii. 0-92% by weight of water; the said ingredients I and II neing present in amounts whereby laundered textile materials are effectively softened and simultaneously soured upon treatment with the said liquid composition, and   the said ingredients I, II and III being present in amounts whereby a stable homogeneous liquid composition is produced.     
     
     
       2. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the softening agent is present in an amount of 1-15% by weight. 
     
     
       3. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the souring agent is present in an amount of 7.5-55% by weight. 
     
     
       4. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the softening agent is present in an amount of 1-15% by weight, the souring agent is present in an amount of 7.5-55% by weight, and water is present in an amount of 30-91.5% by weight. 
     
     
       5. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       6. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the souring agent is glycolic acid. 
     
     
       7. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein the souring agent is citric acid. 
     
     
       8. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       9. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R 2  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       10. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R 2  is ##STR6## 
     
     
       11. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       12. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       13. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms and R 2  is ##STR7## 
     
     
       14. The liquid composition of claim 13 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       15. The liquid composition of claim 14 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       16. The liquid composition of claim 15 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       17. The liquid composition of claim 16 wherein R contains 17 carbon atoms and m is 2. 
     
     
       18. The liquid composition of claim 1 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms and R 2  is H. 
     
     
       19. The liquid composition of claim 18 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       20. The liquid composition of claim 19 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       21. The liquid composition of claim 20 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       22. The liquid composition of claim 21 wherein R contains 17 carbon atoms and m is 2. 
     
     
       23. A stable dry solid composition for souring laundered textile materials and imparting softness thereto consisting essentially of I. 5-50% by weight of a fatty amide softening agent for textile materials corresponding to the structural formula ##STR8##  wherein R is selected from the group consisting of monovalent alkyl radicals and sulfonated monovalent alkyl radicals containing about 8-22 carbon atoms, R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and ##STR9##  wherein R is as defined above, R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and monovalent alkyl radicals containing 1-2 carbon atoms, and m is 2-6; and   Ii. 95-90% by weight of an acidic souring agent for laundered textile materials, the souring agent being a dry solid water soluble organic carboxylic acid containing about 2-20 carbon atoms and having a primary ionization constant between about 10 -1  and 10 -5 . the said ingredients I and II being present in amounts whereby laundered textile materials are effectively softened and simultaneously soured upon treatment with an aqueous solution for souring textile materials containing the said dry solid composition, and   the said ingredients I and II being present in amounts whereby a stable solid composition is produced for souring laundered textile materials and imparting softness thereto.     
     
     
       24. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein the composition contains 15-30% by weight of the softening agent and 70-85% by weight of the souring agent. 
     
     
       25. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, fumaric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       26. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein the souring agent is citric acid. 
     
     
       27. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein the souring agent is glycolic acid. 
     
     
       28. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       29. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R 2  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       30. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R 2  is ##STR10## 
     
     
       31. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       32. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       33. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms and R 2  is ##STR11## 
     
     
       34. The dry solid composition of claim 33 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       35. The dry solid composition of claim 34 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       36. The dry solid composition of claim 35 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, fumaric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       37. The dry solid composition of claim 36 wherein R contains 17 carbon atoms and m is 2. 
     
     
       38. The dry solid composition of claim 23 wherein R is a monovalent alkyl radical containing about 12-18 carbon atoms and R 2  is H. 
     
     
       39. The dry solid composition of claim 38 wherein R 3  is hydrogen. 
     
     
       40. The dry solid composition of claim 39 wherein m is 2-3. 
     
     
       41. The dry solid composition of claim 40 wherein the souring agent is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, fumaric acid, glycolic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. 
     
     
       42. The dry solid composition of claim 41 wherein R contains 17 carbon atoms and m is 2. 
     
     
       43. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 1 with water. 
     
     
       44. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 5 with water. 
     
     
       45. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 13 with water. 
     
     
       46. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 17 with water. 
     
     
       47. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 18 with water. 
     
     
       48. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by diluting the liquid composition of claim 22 with water. 
     
     
       49. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 23 with water. 
     
     
       50. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 25 with water. 
     
     
       51. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 33 with water. 
     
     
       52. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 37 with water. 
     
     
       53. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 38 with water. 
     
     
       54. A stable homogeneous aqueous stock solution for souring and softening laundered textile materials prepared by admixing the dry solid composition of claim 42 with water.